Results Day: some thoughts on UCAS Firm/Insurance Choice

As we near Results day, here are a few nuggets from me re UCAS Firm and Insurance choices for prospective students and their parents/ families.

Universities will try to accept near misses onto their Firm choice. The vast majority of applicants across the UK are accepted onto their Firm choice University and course. This is predicted to be more likely this year.

They may offer a “changed course offer” or alternative course if a student has missed the grades onto a Firm choice, they may hold onto you for a day or so to offer this option. This alternative may be a foundation year or related course, perhaps not requiring a specific grade in a subject or with less stringent professional requirements eg Health Sciences rather than Biomedical Science, or Childhood Studies rather than Teaching with QTS.

This can be a good option, but you can also normally see on UCAS track if your Insurance choice has accepted you onto your original first choice course. The UCAS Insurance choice is not a second best, but perhaps see it as an “almost-first” choice – you/ your child or young person may have really liked it – focus on the positives, and as with my team here at Northampton, they may offer an accommodation guarantee scheme for this group of applicants, as well as for those coming through Clearing. This really matters and may be the best and most positive option before releasing into UCAS Clearing.

Stick or Twist – if you are forced to go into Clearing due to being released by your Firm and Insurance Choice (this will be a minority) then the usual advice applies re checking your grades, options, grade re-marks, gap year, accommodation guarantees, etc. If you/ your child or young person is considering releasing from Firm/Insurance choice into UCAS Clearing intentionally, always take stock – is it really a better choice? Consider the costs and availability of accommodation, and key issues like course content, options like placements, links, module choices, and incentives like free laptops or accommodation guarantees. You may have secured your first choice accommodation type with your Firm choice, but you may be far more likely to be at the back of the queue (or in some cases placed in the wrong city) in Clearing.

So, before you decide to change your mind, think back to the positives of your firm and insurance choice and visit these again if required – lots of Unis have Open Days on Saturday 17 August and next week.

It’s also worth noting again that high quality in UK HE is wide and deep – for example, from a student experience/satisfaction perspective (National Student Survey), the 24 Russell Group members are almost all in the bottom half of the rankings published by Times Higher in July and (I predict) the new Guardian/Times league tables in September and next year in the Complete University Guide.

Best wishes to all, stay calm, and stay cool. The WIWIKAU forums are great places to go too.

I write this in good faith with 30 years in the Admissions business and with a close family member waiting for results on Thursday – I am new to this bit too and I feel your uncertainty and pain. Oh, and all the stuff about “VIP Clearing, priority access” etc. It’s all a bit of a gimmick – it’s just a web enquiry form dressed up as an incentive, and is not really new – but a nice bit of marketing…

Enjoy – University in the UK is consistently an excellent experience and I see it every day on campus here in NN1 with my students taking positive steps and making friends for life.

Find out more about the University of Northampton at our Open Day on 17 August, as well as finding your course for September 2024 on our Clearing page.

James Seymour

James Seymour is the Director of Marketing and Student Recruitment at the University of Northampton; he has 30 years experience of working in HE Admissions across several institutions. He is also the parent of a prospective HE student.